1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the field of cosmetic products and more particularly, to a device for formulating a cosmetic product and automatically dispensing active chemicals to custom mix the formulation in response to the customer's need at the point of sale.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of cosmetics, it has been the common practice to sell various products in pre-packaged form for off the shelf selection. For example, hair treatment products such as permanent wave solutions, hair-conditioners, shampoos, dyes and other hair-treatment compounds are pre-formulated on the basis of generic categories. The disadvantage inherent in this method of supply is that the preformulated products do not account for the fact that each person's hair requires a compound which accommodates differences in physical properties of the hair, such as its degree of damage due to dyeing or bleaching, etc., its porosity, and its size.
For example, the hair is subjected to all forms of treatments that cause negative effects. Some damage the chemical bonds which hold the hair together. Some change the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance which affects the porosity. High temperature from heat styling tools also degrade the keratin protein of the hair. Alkaline services create solubility in the hair and increase porosity. Oxidizing chemicals, as used in hair color, changes the chemical structure in the hair and decreases the chemical bonding in the hair. These natural and artificial effects make the selection of the proper pre-formulated product, such as a permanent waving solution, very difficult.
The variations of a permanent wave lotion to reduce human hair are controlled by the same principles of thermodynamics as most chemical reactions: the interaction of time, temperature and concentration of the active (reducing) agent. The "perfect" perm would "reduce" the number of disulfide bonds in the hair necessary to give a permanent change in shape, but not more than necessary. Excess reduction will cause weak, dry and/or breaking hair. Under reduction will cause "temporary" permanent wave results. The "perfect" perm must balance the, time, temperature and activity versus all the possible variables.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,236 is directed to a manually operated device for dispensing a hair treatment formulation in response to a selected number of hair condition factors. There is no means for automatically dispensing a plurality of cosmetically functional mixtures in response to specific input criteria controlled by a computing means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,271 discloses a cosmetic selection device in which a skin preparation is selected based on a number of personal color characteristics. There is no means for dispensing cosmetically functional mixtures for formulating a custom mixed cosmetic product at the point of sale.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,913 is directed to an apparatus for automatically controlling the time and temperature for applying a hair treatment product based on a number of hair condition criteria. There is no disclosure of a device for automatically dispensing a plurality of cosmetically functional mixtures for providing a custom mixed hair treatment formulation to be applied at a fixed time and temperature at the point of sale.